The Royal Navy’s expert team in getting new technology and kit to the front line have reached yet another major milestone. NavyX’s unique trials ship, XV (eXperimental Vessel) Patrick Blackett, left Portsmouth Naval Base yesterday to undergo sea acceptance trials - ensuring the vessel and equipment onboard are fully functioning and ready to support innovative experimentation.

The start of the ship’s operations with NavyX is an exciting moment for the innovation and autonomy team as it allows them to independently test and trial novel technologies, which in turn allows the warships of the Royal Navy to focus their time and efforts on their operational duties.

Reece Oliver, NavyX Experimentation Plans Team Lead, said: “The hard work that we’ve all put into this project is all worth it to be able to see the ship doing the work she was intended for. Now we can look forward to planning her experimentation programme.”

Colonel Tom Ryall, Head of NavyX, added: “I always said that the arrival of Patrick Blackett into Portsmouth was just the end of the beginning.

“Today, we’ve started the next phase in her journey, as she went to sea under a Blue Ensign. She will have a busy programme ahead of her this summer.”

The 270-tonne vessel, which bears the name of the former Royal Navy Officer and Nobel Prize Winner Patrick Blackett, is paving the way for advanced experimentation, innovation, and future capabilities within the Royal Navy, and ensuring that the UK stays at the leading edge of naval warfare.

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